


All Kinds of Bravery

by pickledragon



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon Gay Relationship, F/F, Flashbacks, Fluff, Getting Together, Light Angst, Mutual Pining, One Shot, Post-Episode s05e29-32 Change Your Mind
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:53:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25474927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pickledragon/pseuds/pickledragon
Summary: After they make it back from Homeworld, Pearl and Bismuth reflect on their pasts and look towards the future.
Relationships: Bismuth/Pearl (Steven Universe)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 22
Collections: True Kinda Love Zine





	All Kinds of Bravery

**Author's Note:**

> originally made for the True Kinda Love Fanzine. 
> 
> note: this fic was originally finished Feb 2020, about two weeks before bismuth casual aired to canonize this ship and thus is my finest contribution to the SU fandom lol. enjoy your bispearl! <3
> 
> art by hummingbird, find her on [instagram!](https://www.instagram.com/humming_birb/)

When they arrive back on earth from Homeworld with the Diamonds in tow, White looking particularly uncomfortable, it’s night in Beach City. There’s a consensus that any life or world changing action can surely wait at least 6 hours, until the Big Donut opens and Amethyst can eat a couple coffee cups.

While the humans settle into sleeping bags around the house, the gems shuffle into various positions in the temple. The Diamonds stay on their ship to get their first glimpse of Earth in centuries. Pearl makes her way quietly around the sleeping bodies, tucking in blankets and fluffing pillows while snores quietly fill the room.

Pearl leans against the kitchen counter and lets out a sigh, her whole body unwinding after the long week they’ve had. She may have been made of light, but the emotional pressure has her fit to poof.

A soft glow from the door to the temple announces Garnet’s arrival, her arms filled with small stuffed animals stashed away in Amethyst’s room. Pearl immediately takes them from her arms and starts stacking them around the sleeping humans.

“Pearl, they’re going to be okay,” Garnet states, her voice kind.

She looks nervously at Steven’s sleeping form. “If you’re sure.”

“I can watch the temple tonight. Go. Have some time for yourself.”

Pearl laughs softly. “Then what should I do? I… don’t quite know what to do with myself.” She tries very hard not to crumple.

Garnet’s sunglasses glint as she smiles. “Try taking a walk on the beach. It might clear your head.”

Pearl purses her lips but doesn’t question the suggestion. Was she forgetting something? Surely there wasn’t… oh! She can’t help the smile that spreads across her face, despite everything.

Garnet is most definitely winking behind her sunglasses as Pearl scrambles out the door.

On the beach, the Diamond’s ship marches laps through the ocean around the Delmarva peninsula. Each step it takes shakes the earth and sends gulls flying around the rocks. Pearl sighs with a shake of her head.

She moves further out onto the beach and spots what she’s after: a familiar silhouette, facing the ocean in a newly assembled gazebo.

Pearl lightly steps across the sand to Bismuth’s workstation.

The effort put in is obvious: the entire thing is smooth and well-crafted, carefully designed to stand up to even the toughest conditions. Strategically placed, too: close enough to the rocks that it can avoid damage from training sessions on the beach proper, but somewhere it blends in with the environment as well. You could never leave her armor out here without bubbled protection, but the view of the ocean more than makes up for it.

As she approaches, Bismuth’s voice rings out over the beach. “I was wondering if I’d see you tonight! Full moon’s lookin’ especially nice.”

Pearl smiles. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” She steps lightly around the bundles of weapons wrapped in cloth to sit beside her. “The workstation looks even better than I remember it.”

“More durable too, now that we don’t have to move it,” Bismuth chuckles, “There are some benefits to a formal base.”

Pearl moves to sit beside Bismuth and a familiar object catches her eye. “Is that my old grindstone?” She runs her hands over the slightly worn surface and can almost feel the memories contained within.

“Figured if we were gonna continue the tradition, we might as well go all the way.” Bismuth winks and Pearl blushes blue.

Back in the day, these monthly meetings of sword and smith were a lifeline. With increasing battles and defectors from Homeworld each day, it could be difficult to remember what they fought for, not to mention to stay in touch with individual gems. Their meetings were some of Pearl’s fondest memories of her Rebellion days. She’s touched beyond belief that Bismuth seems to treasure those memories as highly as she does.

Bismuth pulls the armor off a mannequin to her left and starts polishing the chestplate.  
“Need any repairs done? You probably had your fair share of scrapes on Homeworld before we got there.” Bismuth keeps her voice light, though Pearl can detect the same hint of steel that appears whenever Homeworld comes up in conversation.  
It certainly hasn’t been absent the last 24 hours.

“Not a lot of time for battles as a servant,” Pearl says wryly. She tries to shake off the vestiges of being a ‘Pearl’ again. Something to be traded, to be shown, like jewelry in a case. “You were probably busier, with Peridot and Lapis unavailable.”

Despite the effort, Bismuth sees right through her.. “It wasn’t bad. Pretty calm, so I got to meet some of the locals, go out for donuts with Greg. Start rebuilding myself.”

Now it’s Pearl’s turn to pick up on the barely concealed emotion. “That’s never easy,” she says, placing a hand on her shoulder. “You’re a brave gem.”

“There are lots of kinds of bravery,” Bismuth says dismissively. “You four on Homeworld was one of them.”

And now they were back to a topic Pearl wants to avoid. “I wouldn’t say that.”

Heedless, Bismuth resumes. “It couldn’t have been a cake-walk. I don’t know how you three survived for that long without poofing a few aristocrats.”

“Well,” Pearl recalls, “Amethyst and I did fuse in front of the Diamonds.”

Bismuth starts. “You did what?” She grins ear to ear. “Pearl, you’re full of surprises.”

“Have been since the day you met me,” she shoots back.

Bismuth snickers. “Do you even remember that? We’re practically sedimentary now.”

“Of course I do! Rose and I,” and it’s significant, that there’s no trace of wistfulness or bitterness in Pearl’s voice, “were recruiting at the spires during construction.” Considering, she laughs. “You were hanging on a wall, and slid down to talk to us.”

“But I didn’t know it was you then,” she teases, punching Pearl in the arm lightly. “I mean, when we first talked.” Pearl rolls her eyes, but waits for Bismuth to continue. “What I remember was more… intimidating.” At Pearl’s doubtful look she winks. “What? It was!”

Bismuth’s decision to join the Rebellion wasn’t one of an instant, like so many others were. Each gem deserves to forge their own destiny, Rose had said, nothing like the rumors floating through the upper crust had made her seem. She let the possibility of revolution kindle in her breast before the news of a strange fusion that had arisen as a new leader of the Rebellion reached the almost completed Ocean Spire. The spark became a flame, and Bismuth knew she had to join.

The minute they finished construction and moved to the mainland, Bismuth left for the Rebellion base, said to be centered on a large swath of land spread around a carved mountain.

After a few days, she stumbled headfirst into a Crystal Gem patrol, and after expressing her interest, was led cautiously to their camp. They’d made it back the same time as another group was heading out, like the smooth machinery of a spaceship.

“Watch your head,” a blue jasper to Bismuth’s right said, and she ducked through the line of trees to see paradise.

All around, gems of every type and cut mingled in between large tents full of other gems, laughing and chatting. Workstations lined the beach closer to the mountain, which seemed to be an even larger base on the inside.

“You… you’ve all really created something here,” Bismuth said, and she couldn’t help the blend of awe and confusion in her voice.

The blue jasper smiled. “That’s Earth for you.” She started working her way to the largest set of tents and gestured for Bismuth to follow her.

Eager to follow, Bismuth barrelled forward, her eyes everywhere but in front of her. Which was the perfect time to crash into the leader of the patrol going out. They landed in a tangle and Bismuth hoped she hadn’t just cut off her career in the Rebellion before it began.

A gasp rang out through the nearby gems, and the bustle that had before seemed so comforting slowed to a halt. “So so sorry,” Bismuth repeated from her position under that poor gem. “My bad. Promise.”

“It’s no trouble,” a lilting voice said, a trace of humor in her words. A white gem picked herself off the ground, her pink hair lightly mussed from the collision. Bismuth shook her head to clear the stars. Wait. That voice sounded familiar.

The whispers grew louder around her. The gem tsked, and wagged a finger at the assembled crowd. “Carry on, please! Don’t forget we’re in the middle of a war!” At her words the crowd dispersed, and Bismuth felt something her heart sink into her stomach. Oh no. This gem was the terrifying renegade pearl. Bismuth looked up to confirm her worst fears.

She was going to get poofed for sure.

“Hopefully we both made it out unshattered,” she added, raising an eyebrow teasingly. Bismuth blushed, despite the embarrassing scenario. Was this legendary renegade… joking with her? She must have been dreaming. Pearl offered a hand to Bismuth and she took it gratefully, steadying herself to rise to her feet. “You must be one of the new recruits. Welcome to the Rebellion.”

“Wait,” Pearl interrupts the story with a scoff. “I was not that dramatic!”

Bismuth raises an eyebrow at the current pose of affront Pearl holds, a hand pressed to her chest and the other backwards against her forehead. “Uh huh. Sure. The showmanship probably helped your war strategy. You were the best strategist there.”

“I rather hope I’m the best strategist here as well,” Pearl jokes. Bismuth sets aside her work to better aim a poke into her side, and she rolls her eyes affectionately. “And Bismuth, that’s nothing compared to what you did.” Her voice grows passionate. “You were the first Bismuth I’d ever met that wanted to create weapons. Make something from herself, other than what the Diamonds demanded.” She grows wistful. “But I suppose that was the point of the Rebellion: reforging yourself anew.”

Bismuth smiles. “You always know what to say.” Pearl sits, staring rather sappily for a few more minutes before she realizes that she’s forgotten to start sharpening something. She hops up to examine the weapons already in the workstation, but they’re all almost perfect.

“My weapons are good for now. You have any that need maintenance? I’ll be disappointed if your collection isn’t at least three times larger now.”

“Four, actually,” Pearl winks. She considers, and moves to pull something from her gem. “I’m quite fond of this old relic. I’d been handling something over in Europe, a couple centuries ago, and I found this by the lake! Just stuck in a rock, like no one wanted it.”

She pulls a short sword from her gem and presents it to Bismuth. “I’m surprised it’s kept in such good condition, actually. Works splendidly as well. The locals called it ‘Excalibur,’ I believe.”

“Odd name for a weapon.” Bismuth takes the offered sword. “Excellent quality. Almost as good as something I’d make,” she says cheekily.

“Maybe.” Pearl scoffs and gently pushes her.

Bismuth barks out a laugh. “You know I’m right!”

She shakes her head fondly. “That’s my Bismuth, too proud to give any other craftsmanship a second glance.”

“And that’s my Pearl, discerning enough to recognize the best when you see it.”

Pearl gives Bismuth a haughty look, before she can’t hold it much longer. Her giggle rings across the beach, clear and far less professional than she’d like, but Pearl can’t bring herself to care. She’d missed this.

Bismuth blushes and sets aside her armor, puts the chestpiece in a bubble. She moves on to the greaves, consciously trying to keep eye contact with her, to hilarious effect.

Pearl pulls out another one of her old favorites and takes to the grindstone. A razor’s edge, just how she likes it.

It’s companionable, their partnership. The Diamond’s ship has quieted down and the sun is slowly rising over the beach.

But Pearl can’t leave well enough alone, and her mind drifts back into the past.

This is the first time they’ve done this since the Rebellion. Part of that couldn’t be helped, Bismuth was bubbled in Lion, and no one could have guessed, but—Pearl sighs. After Steven found Bismuth, after she threatened his life, justified as it may have been, they were the ones to shut her back in a bubble. Just like Rose, she thinks bitterly, making decisions for other people.

She doesn’t want to break this perfect moment but they haven’t had a chance to make things right, what with the wedding and the Diamonds. It needs to happen eventually.

Pearl’s careful to keep her tone neutral. “Bismuth, I don’t think I ever said… Garnet and I. We’re truly sorry for everything that happened. We just didn’t know what else we could do. For all we knew, you’d made up your mind about Steven, and—”

Bismuth cuts her off. “Look, I get it.” She puts aside the piece she’s polishing to turn and face Pearl. “There wasn’t much else you could have done. Heck, I don’t even know if I would have done something different. Betrayal is a big deal.

“It was a complicated situation.” She takes a deep breath. “Even though Rose lied, and it’s hard to forgive her for that, she was still one of my best friends. And Steven’s not her.” She chuckles darkly. “Even if the end result was the same, at first.”

Pearl shifts. “We didn’t know the first time either.” The words come out in a rush, and she couldn’t stop them if she tried. “Any of it, not Rose or the Breaking Point or where you’d gone. We just missed you.” Her voice catches. “I missed you.”

“I missed you guys too. I don’t think I’ve ever been in my gem for that long.” Bismuth’s voice turns pensive. “Lots of time for self-reflection in there.”

Pearl shudders. “I’d imagine so.”

“I tried to shatter Rose. I didn’t mean to leave, but I left. That can’t just be forgiven. I went through that day so many times in my head, trying to see where it all went wrong. But I still popped out of my gem, thousands of years in the future and made the same mistakes. ”

“And you think I haven’t?” Pearl counters. “You were held back by a bubble. I was fully corporeal and managed to do the same thing.” She’s probably sharpened this sword a little too much, but places it back in her gem anyways. “ I’ve always been bad at change.” She pulls out another one in its place to fill the sudden silence.

Unbidden, Pearl’s mind returns to the last time they’d seen each other. They were meeting in the war tent to plan the infiltration of a fleet of dropships. She’d suggested sending a strike team in, and was met with approval from each division captain. They’d set off in the morning.

Bismuth had yanked her aside as soon as the meeting adjourned, and immediately began to lay into her.

“Pearl, what were you thinking back there?! You know how spread out we are right now, there’s no way we can send you and Rose in with a good amount of backup!”

“That’s why we were going to go alone,” Pearl stated flatly. “We’ve handled worse.”

“And you’ve come back with your gem almost cracked in half! It’s not worth the risk,” Bismuth was still steaming, called into the meeting straight from the forges.

Pearl sniffed. “Everyone at the meeting seemed to agree it was the best course of action.

“No gem will object to you, you’re second in command,” she hissed. “Pearl, someone needs to tell you when you’re wrong! And Diamond knows Rose isn’t going to do that.”

Her face shuttered. “Bismuth, if you have a problem with Rose’s judgement—”

“Who doesn’t? I’m allowed to disagree with Rose’s decisions. You worship the ground she walks on!” she shot back. Pearl glared, but Bismuth continued. “But that’s not what I’m talking about right now.”

“Then what on earth are you trying to say?” Pearl tossed back.

“I’m just trying to say—” Bismuth exhaled. “Be careful.” Bismuth lightly rested a hand on Pearl’s shoulder.

They stood there in the war tent, head to head, so close to the edge of something that they could see the chasm. In the distance, a bell rang.

Pearl was regretful as she pulled away. “Patrol change. I have to go.” She brushed the taller gem’s hand from her shoulder. “I’ll see you when we get back.”

She is so absorbed in the memory she almost misses Bismuth’s response in the present.

“That’s okay,” Bismuth says. “Even if it takes a while, it’s better to change eventually than not at all.” She declares this with a sense of finality, and it’s for her as much as for Pearl.

Pearl accepts the forgiveness for both of them with a nod.

“I think,” Pearl starts, then stops. Collects herself. “I think I’ve been in love with you for a long time.”

Bismuth doesn’t seem shocked by the revelation. She nods. “Bet I’ve been in love with you longer. Even though you were a pain in the ass during the war.”

Pearl sighs. “I was never very good at knowing what I wanted. Rose was my everything, I… wasn’t a very good friend.”

“Hey,” Bismuth’s eyes are watery. “I’ll give this another shot if you will. If you want to.”

“I do.”

“I don’t want you to feel like we’re making up for lost time. I’m not the same gem as I was, a thousand years ago.”

“Neither am I.” Pearl sets down her sword and gently pulls the greaves from Bismuth’s hands. They look into each other’s eyes and don’t break eye contact.

“I don’t know what we’re going to do from here. The Diamonds are on Earth. Everything has changed,” Bismuth admits. “Even more than before.” She leans into Pearl’s shoulder and sighs, the weight of years draining out of her body.

Pearl cups a hand around Bismuth’s chin. “Then I guess we’ll just have to figure that out together.”

They kiss, and the sun rises on Beach City.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments make my life <3  
> Find me at learningthomas.tumblr.com or instagram.com/_pickle_dragon


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